Layer Cakes Question

I have a pattern that calls for 2 layer cakes. How can I purchase the material that I want w/o getting a layer cake? Does that make any sense??? I dont know how much material I would need and such. has anyone ever done thsi before?

I looked around on internet a couple of months ago to see the number in a layer cake and found there were no standard amount. Layer cakes are 10 inch squares, I just cut enough to make a quilt the size I wanted and put yardage back to use again.

Another Phyllis
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I never bought a layer cake..I just figure how many 10 inch squares I will need to complete the project I am working on. Divide that number of squares by the number of different fabrics I will want to use.

There is generally 40 squares in a layer cake (layer cake refers to Moda`s 10 inch square packages, other companies refer to them differently). Like charm squares and jelly rolls, the layer cake contains at least one fabric of the entire line of that fabric design. Most patterns that call for layer cakes specifically include instructions on how to cut up the fabric based on the 10 inch square. So a metre of fabric would be 40 x 40....therefore 16 squares. Does that help you. (I`ve lost my question mark for some reason tonight)

A layer cake is 10" x 10", and there are usually 40 in a package. If your fabric is 40" wide or more, than you should get 4 layer cakes from each 10" length of fabric. It would take just under 3 yards to cut 40 layer cakes, and 5.75 yards to cut 80. That's if you cut everything perfectly with no waste. I would buy a little extra fabric just in case.

You also face the problem of not much variety unless you have a large stash and can cut from that.

Do you have any friends that quilt and would be willing to swap 10" squares? If you do buy a variety of fabric, make sure it's in 1/3 yard increments. If you buy a 1/2 yard you will only get 4 10" squares (18" X width of fabric) and 1/3 yard is 12" X width of fabric. Don't buy fat quarters (18" X 22") or skinny quarters (9" X width of fabric). Do you have any discount fabric stores around you? Also, let the person cutting the fabric know what you are planning on doing with the fabric. They (if they are nice) will be more careful cutting the fabric. I bought skinny quarters from a well known fabric store (not a quilt store) and the elbows were so bad I only got one 2 1/2" strip out of them when I should have been able to get 3!

Thanks everyone. The pattern is Vanilla & Blooms. It has 3 variations of the pattern and I thought if I could by the material by the yard I would have enough to make more than 1 design.
I dont have any fabric discount stores, we barely have any quilt stores.

instead of buy a yard..to cut expenses, buy half yard...third yard is 12inch and not sure if you want 2" strips...what would I do? shop my stach nd then fill in w/ 12" cuts from yardage at the store...fa quarter would work too...just thing 10"